A. Money received by the department from the sale of real or personal property for delinquent property taxes shall be deposited in a suspense fund and distributed as follows:
(1) first, that portion equal to the costs shall be retained by the department for use, subject to appropriation by the legislature, in administration of the Property Tax Code;
(2) second, that portion equal to the penalties and interest due shall be retained by the department for use, subject to appropriation by the legislature, by the department in administration of the Property Tax Code;
(3) third, that portion equal to the delinquent taxes due shall be remitted by the department to the appropriate county treasurer for distribution by the treasurer to the governmental units in accordance with the law and the regulations of the department of finance and administration; and
(4) the balance shall be paid to the former owner of the property sold or to any other person designated by order directed to the department by a court of competent jurisdiction, provided that the department may first apply all or any portion of the balance to be paid against the amount of any property tax, including any penalty and interest related thereto, owed by the person to whom the balance would otherwise be paid.
B. As a condition precedent to payment of the balance of the sale amount received to the former owner of the property, the department may require any person claiming to be entitled to that payment to present sufficient evidence of proof of former ownership of the property to the department. The department shall adopt regulations providing for the procedures to be followed by persons claiming sale proceeds as former owners in those instances where conflicting claims exist or the department requires proof of ownership.
C. If no person claims the balance of sale proceeds, whether the property was sold under the provisions of the Property Tax Code or prior law, as the former owner of the property within two years of the date of the sale and after a reasonable search to determine the former owner is made by the department and no former owner is found, the balance of the sale proceeds shall be considered abandoned property and deposited in accordance with the provisions of the Uniform Unclaimed Property Act [Chapter 7, Article 8A NMSA 1978].
D. If the balance of proceeds from the sale after paying a higher priority claim under Subsection A of this section is insufficient to pay all of the next priority claim, then the complete balance shall be applied to that next priority claim as partial payment.
History: 1953 Comp., § 72-31-71, enacted by Laws 1973, ch. 258, § 111; 1979, ch. 61, § 1; 1982, ch. 28, § 26; 1986, ch. 20, § 117; 1990, ch. 22, § 10; 1995, ch. 12, § 14.
The 1995 amendment, effective June 16, 1995, rewrote Paragraph A(1) which read "first, that portion equal to the expenses of seizure and sale shall be retained by the department and these amounts are appropriated to the department for use in administration of the Property Tax Code" and made stylistic changes in Paragraph A(2).
The 1990 amendment, effective May 16, 1990, in Subsection A, rewrote Paragraph (2) which read "second, that portion equal to the penalties and interests due shall be remitted by the department, to the appropriate county treasurer for deposit in the county general fund" and added the proviso at the end of Paragraph (4) and, in Subsection C, substituted "Uniform Unclaimed Property Act" for "Uniform Disposition of Unclaimed Property Act".
Structure New Mexico Statutes
Article 38 - Administration and Enforcement of Property Taxes
Section 7-38-1 - Applicability.
Section 7-38-2 - Investigative authority and powers.
Section 7-38-3 - Information reports.
Section 7-38-4 - Confidentiality of information.
Section 7-38-6 - Presumption of correctness.
Section 7-38-7 - Valuation date.
Section 7-38-7.1 - Valuation date; tangible personal property; construction contractors.
Section 7-38-8 - Reporting of property for valuation; penalties for failure to report.
Section 7-38-8.1 - Division to adopt regulations to require reporting of exempt property.
Section 7-38-9 - Description of property for property taxation purposes.
Section 7-38-11 - Property reported in the wrong county.
Section 7-38-12.1 - Residential property transfers; affidavit to be filed with assessor.
Section 7-38-12.2 - Penalties.
Section 7-38-13 - Statement of decrease in value of property subject to local valuation.
Section 7-38-16 - Condemnation proceedings; duty of condemning authority to notify county assessor.
Section 7-38-17 - Claiming exemptions; requirements; penalties.
Section 7-38-19 - Valuation records.
Section 7-38-20 - County assessor and department to mail notices of valuation.
Section 7-38-21 - Protests; election of remedies.
Section 7-38-23 - Protest hearings; verbatim record; action by hearing officer; time limitations.
Section 7-38-25 - County valuation protests boards; creation; duties; funding.
Section 7-38-26 - Scheduling of protest hearings.
Section 7-38-28 - Appeals from orders of the hearing officer or county valuation protests boards.
Section 7-38-29 - Retention of hearing records.
Section 7-38-30 - Department to allocate and certify valuations to county assessors.
Section 7-38-31 - County assessor to certify net taxable values to the department.
Section 7-38-33 - Department of finance and administration to set tax rates.
Section 7-38-34 - Board of county commissioners to order imposition of the tax.
Section 7-38-35 - Preparation of property tax schedule by assessor.
Section 7-38-36 - Preparation and mailing of property tax bills.
Section 7-38-37 - Contents of property tax bill.
Section 7-38-38 - Payment of property taxes; installment due dates; refund in cases of overpayments.
Section 7-38-38.3 - Optional prepayment of property taxes in monthly payments.
Section 7-38-39 - Protesting values; claim for refund.
Section 7-38-40 - Claims for refund; civil action.
Section 7-38-41 - Protested property taxes; suspense fund; refunds; interest.
Section 7-38-43 - Distribution of receipts from collected property taxes, penalties and interest.
Section 7-38-45 - Special provisions relating to administration of taxes on livestock.
Section 7-38-46 - Delinquent property taxes.
Section 7-38-47 - Property taxes are personal obligation of owner of property.
Section 7-38-49 - Unpaid property taxes; imposition of interest.
Section 7-38-50 - Delinquent taxes; civil penalties.
Section 7-38-51 - Notification to property owner of delinquent property taxes.
Section 7-38-54 - Demand warrant; contents.
Section 7-38-55 - Surrender of personal property; penalty for refusal.
Section 7-38-56 - Release of personal property seized.
Section 7-38-57 - Notice of sale of personal property.
Section 7-38-58 - Personal property sale requirements.
Section 7-38-59 - Certificates of sale; effect of certificates of sale.
Section 7-38-60 - Notification to property owner of delinquent taxes.
Section 7-38-63 - Payment of delinquent taxes to the department; distribution.
Section 7-38-65 - Collection of delinquent taxes on real property; sale of real property.
Section 7-38-66 - Sale of real property for delinquent taxes; notice of sale.
Section 7-38-67 - Real property sale requirements.
Section 7-38-67.1 - Sale of abandoned real property; notice of sale; requirements.
Section 7-38-68 - Installment agreements.
Section 7-38-69 - Distribution of amounts collected under installment agreements.
Section 7-38-71 - Distribution of amounts received from sale of property.
Section 7-38-75 - Exception to property tax due date.
Section 7-38-78 - Action by property owner in district court to change property tax schedule.
Section 7-38-84 - Notices; mailing.
Section 7-38-85 - Extension of deadlines; general provision.
Section 7-38-86 - Extension of deadlines at request of property owners.
Section 7-38-87 - Administrative regulations; promulgation; general provisions.
Section 7-38-89 - Validity of certain regulations; judicial review.
Section 7-38-92 - Attempts to evade or defeat the property tax.
Section 7-38-93 - Interference with the administration of the Property Tax Code.